American Oversight Demands Release of Pence-Kobach Commission Records

Washington, DC – Non-partisan ethics watchdog American Oversight today demanded the release of records related President Trump’s Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (PACEI) under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The commission, co-chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was launched by Trump following his repeated, and disproven, claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election.

“After continually lying about the presence of widespread voter fraud in last year’s election, President Trump is now using taxpayer money to fund a nationwide wild goose chase to soothe his bruised ego and explain away his popular vote loss,” said American Oversight Executive Director Austin Evers. “The commission’s real goal is to perpetuate the myth of voter fraud to justify legislation designed to suppress the vote. American Oversight is going to expose the commission’s activities, and ensure Americans get the facts.”

American Oversight sent a letter to Vice President Pence demanding that staff abide by guidelines set forth under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and provide a reading room to allow individuals to review documents, communications, and other materials used by PACEI.

In addition, American Oversight today has filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of Justice, the General Services Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security requesting communications with the Office of the Vice President (OVP), the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Congress, and any person or entity associated with PACEI.

After losing the popular vote in the 2016 election, President Trump has repeatedly impugned the integrity of voting systems and alleged there were “millions” of illegal votes. These claims have been widely debunked by independent experts as well as elections officials from both parties.

Evers continued, “While Congress is cutting healthcare benefits and agencies are under a hiring freeze, how much taxpayer money is being wasted on this folly?”